Stories

All stories are from the Australian “Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse: Final Report.”

Content warning: This content is about child sexual abuse. It contains graphic descriptions and strong language, and may be confronting and disturbing. If you need help, please seek support. The stories of survivors, may bring up many strong feelings and questions. Be assured you are not alone, and that there are many services and support groups available to assist in dealing with these. Some options for advice and support are listed below:

24/7 telephone and online crisis support, information and immediate referral to specialist counselling for anyone in Australia who has experienced or been impacted by sexual assault, or domestic or family violence.

Disclaimer: Stories are from people who spoke with a Commissioner during a private session of the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse. Real names of individuals have not been used, except of public figures in a public context. Nothing in these stories are findings of the Royal Commission and any views expressed are those of the person, not of the Commissioners.

The Myth:

“Another way we can contribute to the oneness – rejecting false stories that are designed to separate us from Jehovah’s organization. As an example, think about the apostate-driven lies and dishonesties that Jehovah’s organization is permissive toward pedophiles. I mean, that is ridiculous, isn’t it? If anybody takes action against someone who would threaten our young ones and takes action to protect our young ones, it’s Jehovah’s organization. We reject outright such lies!” – M. Stephen Lett, member of the Governing Body of Jehovah’s Witnesses. As published on JW.ORG (c) 2015.

The Facts:

The following 44 stories are not ‘apostate-driven lies and dishonesties.’ These stories are genuine heart-wrenching accounts from just some of the people who spoke with a Commissioner during a private session of the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse looking into Jehovah’s Witnesses and Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of Australia Limited.

The Evidence:

The Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse released its final report on 15 December 2017. The Final Report presented some disturbing facts about child sexual abuse within the Jehovah’s Witnesses in Australia, including over 1800 child abuse victims and 1006 alleged perpetrators with 0 allegations of child sexual abuse reported to the authorities or police by Jehovah’s Witnesses.

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8 thoughts on “Stories”

I have logged this and perhaps some time i will read and review the accounts.
It is to their very great credit that these have been compiled. If I may add just this I hope a capable writer will one day put together stories of parents who found out of the abuse of their kids by others.
Live long and proper in peace.

It is absolutely correct that Watchtower is made to account for what they have done with their two witness rule and what they have failed to do in facing up to their cover up of child sexual abuse.
My concern is that the world has not grasped that they are an institution of abuse . They control members to the enth degree. Jehovah’s Witnesses cannot vote,
pursue higher education, celebrate Christmas, birthdays and other annual festivals, smoke, marry a non-,witness, be gay, freely donate to charity, participate in
lotteries and have their own choice in music, fashion and entertainment.
They are kept on the treadmill of meetings study, ministry and study, They are psychologically damaged and their children are traumatized. They are so de-sesitized they will not feel sympathy for all their poor victims. They have changed predictions on Armaggedon manipulating lives, denied blood transfusion and been responsible for countless family break- ups and suicides
I hold this against Watchtower that they don’t represent God and resemble the Pharisees of whom Jesus talked with condemnation.
There are many good people amongst them and I hope and pray they will come out as Revelation tells good Christians to do.

Another point the world has not grasped is that Watchtower is a global corporation with investments in many global companies and can afford to pay out 35 million dollars to a victim but it has to maintain cash flow which is why it has to keep its followers This is achieved by fear of God and fear of losing their families in practices such as shunning and disfellowshipping.. The fear of God is actually fear of jw.org not a healthy awe of our God and His Christ..

Thus i have read through these terrible accounts.
The jw make a HUGE deal about privileges. I must explain this term is not about someone who has undertaken a rigorous time of study as you might expect and thereby earned ‘privileges’ No this term is the right to literally open windows and close them after a meeting,(wow! open windows!) it considers someone who has the right to pass a microphone around, perhaps work on the congregations book dept. These are the privileges that you have read about taken away from a rapist. Such is the wt idea of justice.

Also here is the wt common response to threaten a victim to silence that they might be taken to court for slander. Given the very poor level of education espoused by the wt and the fumbling bumbling performance of wt elders at the ARC where they get this ability to tell some one they would be charged with slander is beyond me.
One writer suggsted the wt should be paying out compensation not the govt. I agree fully the wt claims to be a charity. well charity begins at home not the govt treasury, but if its the govt that pays that helps victims get money to pay for medications, or counsellors then so be it.
Live long and prosper in peace.

I once was one and I can’t begin to explain the mess I up in because or married in…It has taken me a life time to try and recover from the long lasting damage. I went from abuse as a child. The 11 yrs of marriage of being sodomized by my Christian husband. To watching him disown his own two children because associating with their gay mother. I have seen how they can play the minds games…when being put into a room to answer of questions of such madness on grounds forinacation…as to who touch who first, was oral involved, and on whos part. WHAT TNE HELL DOSE IT MATTER ..IF YOU WISH TO REPENT THEN YOU BETTER SHOW IT..THEY want you on the front row so all can see you. So much I could say..but I’m sure others have come forward to help expose them for what they truly know. My ex husband is an Elder in congregation!!! As for his new wife well…all I can say may she feel the pain to gave my children. I have always love and been in my children’s life ..with shared custody. They are grown now. And wonderful individuals Furman graduated also. Spoken by an ex member and happy to have come out on top.

Eva, my heart goes out to you for the horrors you’ve experienced but also in congratulations for making it out.
Us exes need to support each other with the love we never experienced as Witnesses.
You’re very brave. We need to process the past, but look forward fearlessly because Watchtower is manmade and does not represent God.